The present invention relates in general to insulating and more particularly concerns novel methods and means for using waste rubber in a thermal insulation that is economical, flame retardant, water repellant, relatively easy to manufacture with relatively inexpensive materials and provides good insulating properties.
The recovery of waste rubber has long been an object of interest. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 40,497, dated Oct. 27, 1863, dealt with the problem of recovering and reusing waste rubber. Other patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,807,930, dated June 2, 1931, dealt with turning scrap rubber into new useful forms.
It is this latter field with which the present invention is concerned, namely, the use of scrap rubber as a base material for the creation of other material useful for various objects. In particular, the invention concerns a process for making from scrap rubber, a novel product suitable for use as a thermal insulation packing.
Discarded tires are a major source of litter. One approach for dealing with discarded tires involves shredding the tires and burying the shredded rubber. Typically wornout tires may be discarded in a dump where they attract rats and present a fire and pollution hazard. Burning rubber in dumps is difficult to extinguish and produces unpleasant fumes. Another approach involves discarding used tires in the ocean; however, this approach presents environmental problems.
The present invention is also concerned with another important problem. With declining sources of fossil fuels energy conservation is vital. Accordingly, governmental agencies have widely promoted improving the insulative properties of buildings. The response to this promotion has been increased demand for insulation with increased difficulties in meeting the demand and higher prices for insulation. Furthermore, the demand for insulation has been met in increasingly larger amounts with insulation that is inferior from the standpoint of one or more of fire retardant properties, antivermin properties and insulating properties.
Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to help alleviate one or more of the problems enumerated above.
It is an object of this invention to produce useful thermal insulation material from scrap rubber in accordance with the preceding object.
It is another object of the invention to produce this material in accordance with one or more of the preceding objects with readily available materials.
It is still another object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects with a method that is simple and that uses readily available apparatus.